October 2, 2007Newsletter

The autumn season is in full swing for the Center. The 8th annual Human Rights Film Series begins on Oct. 4 with Encounter Point. Check out our website for the full line-up. We're also excited about our collaboration with the DC Labor Film Fest on Oct. 10, when we'll be screening Made in LA - we'll be joined by the filmmakers and human rights experts for a great discussion after the film. We're also delighted to announce the release of our latest report, The Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy, drawn from scores of interviews with media lit educators, that reveals shortcomings in teaching because of copyright restrictions. See below for more details. See you soon!

2007 Human Rights Film Series
October 3 - November 8, 2007

Our 8th Annual Human Rights Film Series showcases films that show how film and video can make a difference for human rights. Discussions with expert speakers follow all screenings.

Screenings will take place at the WCL campus and AU's Wechsler theater.

Visit our website for film synopses and full event details!

Encounter Point
WCL Oct 3 @ 6:00
AU Oct 4 @ 5:30

Devil's Miner
WCL Oct 17 @ 6:00
AU Oct 18 @ 5:30

The Refugee All Stars
WCL Oct 24 @ 6:00
AU Nov 1 @ 5:30
Nov. 1 SPECIAL EVENT--Reception to celebrate the 20th anniversary of public TV series P.O.V. with P.O.V.'s Simon Kilmurry and special friends from all over public broadcasting! FREE! Please RSVP to devin.greenleaf@american.edu

Nov. 8 SPECIAL EVENT - Human Rights in a Time of War
Screening of Ghosts of Abu Ghraib
Katzen Arts Center Nov 8 @ 5:30
An Evening with Ghosts of Abu Ghraib Award-Winning Producer Liz Garbus
Nov. 8
5:30-8:00 pm
Katzen Arts Center, AU, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Part of the 2007 Human Rights Film Series

Join us for a powerful evening as Fall 2007 Visiting Filmmaker Liz Garbus shares her experiences as a pioneer of human rights filmmaking and answers your questions about the making of this provocative film. This event takes place against the backdrop of Fernando Botero's startlingly barbaric exhibit, Botero: Abu Ghraib. Cost: FREE

2007 DC Labor Film Fest - Screening of Made in L.A.
October 10, 6 pm
Katzen Arts Center Recital Hall
A film by Robert Bahar and Almudena Carracedo
In partnership with AFL-CIO and ActiveVoice.
See our website for full details. Discussion with special guests to follow screening.

Digital Freedom Campaign - FREE CONCERT on Oct. 24
WHAT: Panel discussion - visit our website for a full list of panelists
WHEN:: Oct. 24, 5:30 pm, Wechsler Theater, 3rd Fl. Mary Graydon Center, AU Campus
Protect your digital rights!!! Digital Freedom Campaign - Free Concert: 7:30 pm in The Tavern, 1st Fl., Mary Graydon Center - featuring Samantha Murphy.
The Center co-sponsors with the Digital Freedom Campaign an event to celebrate the rights of artists, innovators and consumers to use digital technology free of unreasonable government restrictions or punitive lawsuits, and to enjoy their full rights of fair use.

The Digital Freedom Campaign helps to maximize the vast opportunities that new digital technologies present to artists and fans while ensuring that Americans are being treated fairly. This growing group of innovators, artists, students and consumers know that they also have rights in this copyright debate and they want to make themselves heard.

Foreign Correspondence and the Future of Public Media: A Speaker Series
The Center for Social Media proudly presents Foreign Correspondence and the Future of Public Media, a series that addresses the future of reliable, unbiased information from abroad at a time when our nation is engaged in two foreign wars - and when the number of mainstream foreign correspondents is actually diminishing.

The series, organized by AU's Bill Gentile, is comprised of internationally-recognized foreign correspondents. Each speaker brings unique and valuable insight into the current state of foreign correspondence, and especially its future. Click here for information on the speaker line-up.

Braving the New Frontier - Ford Foundation Public Media Grantees breaking new ground in the Future of Public Media
With the generous support of the Ford Foundation a diverse group of media producers is pushing the envelope in public and social media. Read about the cutting-edge, innovative work that these leaders are producing to strengthen the role of public media in our society. Read more about this prolific group.

Youtube as Public Media?
Can commercial platforms serve public purposes? Can they help non-commercial media raise money? Here's an experiment to keep your eye on. YouTube is trying to attract nonprofits, offering them the chance to create channels free of charge and collect donations with Google Checkout without service fees. Read more>>

Google as Big Brother?
Longtime public interest advocate Jeffrey Chester, of the Center for Digital Democracy, has written a provocative op-ed in The Nation about Google as the dubious guardian of the public interest in communication. He points to Google's rapid acquisition of other media and communications companies, and its core strategy of developing data- mining into an art that serves advertisers. Read more>>

New Center report reveals copyright confusion hurts students, teachers and learning
The Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy, based on scores of longform interviews with teachers, shows that the fundamental goals of media literacy education-to cultivate critical thinking and expression about media and its social role-are compromised by unnecessary copyright restrictions. As a result of poor guidance, counterproductive guidelines, and fear, teachers use less effective teaching techniques, teach and transmit erroneous copyright information, fail to share innovative instructional approaches, and do not take advantage of new digital platforms.

This is not only unfortunate but unnecessary, since copyright law permits a wide range of uses of copyrighted material without permission or payment. However, educators today have no consensus around what constitutes acceptable fair use practices. The report concludes with a call for educators to develop a consensus around their interpretation of their most valuable copyright tool: fair use. Read more about the report and launch event>>

Media literacy advocates gather to discuss fair use in the classroom
On September 25, 2007, the Center co-hosted a diverse group of teachers, lawyers and advocates to discuss the Center's latest report, Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy. The report draws on scores of interviews with educators nation-wide and reveals that media literacy education is compromised by a dearth of understanding of copyright and principles of fair use. To read more about the launch event and the panel discussion, please click here.

Fair Use and the Numbers
Large content holders, such as the movie studios and music companies, have spent a lot of money over the years and supported the Copyright Alliance to issue reports showing that the American economy (and public culture) depends on tightly guarded copyright ownership rules. Now other economic interests are fighting fire with fire. Read more>>

Come celebrate the launch of the Global Perspectives Project from ITVS International
Featuring a special preview screening of "Please Vote For Me"
Monday, October 1, 2007, 7:30 pm
With introductory remarks by

• -U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel-
• -Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong- Of the People's Republic of China
• -Patricia S. Harrison- President and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting And a post-screening panel discussion moderated by:
• Ray Suarez Senior correspondent, The News Hour With Jim Lehrer

Location:
National Geographic Society Headquarters
Grosvenor Auditorium
1600 M Street, NW
Washington, DC

Admission is free, reservations are required. RSVP to rsvp@itvs.org or 415- 356-8383 x300

Meet Filmmaker Billy Luther and Crystal Frazier at ITVS Community Cinema screenings of the documentary MISS NAVAJO- October 3 and 4

No ordinary beauty pageant, the Miss Navajo Nation competition is an opportunity for young women to honor and strengthen Navajo culture. Filmmaker Billy Luther - whose mother was crowned Miss Navajo in 1966 - follows a determined tomboy (Crystal Frazier) through her own quest for the unique title, which celebrates cultural history and traditional skills.

Billy Luther and Crystal Frazier will discuss the film, MISS NAVAJO, following a sneak preview screening Wednesday, October 3 at 7 pm to kick off National Geographic's All Roads Film Festival (National Geographic Society HQ, 1600 M Street, NW); and Thursday, October 4 at 7 pm at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street, NW). There is NO ADMISSION CHARGE for these events. For more information and to make reservations, visit www.communitycinema-dc.org or call 202-939-0794. Presented by ITVS Community Cinema in partnership with the National Geographic All Roads Film Project.

Women In Film & Video Hosts 2nd Annual Screenwriters' Conference
The full day conference gives participants a chance to meet and network with film and business professionals to learn how the film industry works.

Price for the full day, including the opening night screening of A Walk on the Moon, five workshops and a networking reception is $125 for WIFV Members; $195 for Non-members. Half-day and single session registrations are available. Call (202) 429-9438 or check out www.wifv.org for more info.

Sign up for ITVS Community Cinema-DC!
If you enjoyed [ITVS] Community Cinema-DC films like "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" and "The World According to Sesame Street" at Busboys and Poets and other venues around the city, stay up-to- date. Subscribe to Community Cinema's monthly e- Bulletin for screenings featuring the latest docs from the ITVS "Independent Lens" series. CLICK on the link below and follow the instructions to subscribe.

The new season of [ITVS] Community Cinema begins September 2007. Be one of the first to get a complete list of the entire 2007-2008 season available to e- Bulletin subscribers.

ACLU Stand Up For Freedom Contest
Submit your Podcast or PSA!
Deadline Extended to October 4!!!
submit a 3-5 minute podcast or a 30-second PSA on government surveillance, free speech or due process rights. Prizes include $2,000 for Best PSA and $1,000 for Best Podcast with additional awards for originality, production and humor.

Click here for more information. Or contact 212.997.0505 ext 218 or email info@zilo.com.